Passage to India

If you want spicy, complex, and savory cuisine, Indian food will fit the bill perfectly. It can be chili-hot or creamy and mild, meaty or completely vegan, and diverse enough for even the most jaded palate to enjoy. I love the diversity of Indian cuisine, from spice-coated tandoori oven chicken to crispy fried samosas. One can spend a lifetime discovering its nuances.

I grew up eating Indian food, because I was born into a bi-cultural family with multi-cultural friends. When we moved to Newton, my parents met up with all the other foreign-born doctors around and started cooking. Our potlucks were crazy. Malaysian laksa, Filipino sio pao, Spanish paella, and Indian kormas were all part of the scene. Everyone would bring their signature dishes, in various stages of cooking, and the finishing touches would be done at our house. It was a frenzy of grilling, steaming, and deep-frying. My mom made tumbleweeds and did her best to make sure that nobody caught on fire.

Passage to India, on 21st between Oliver and Woodlawn, is a great place to start exploring Indian cuisine. We usually start with vegetable samosas, little fried pastries stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas. We always order garlic naan, a crispy-soft, garlic-coated tandoor-cooked flatbread masterpiece. I usually get something with lamb, usually korma, and Wayne gets sizzling chicken tikka, spicy and cayenne red. We are usually too full for dessert, but the mango yogurt lassi is good to wash it all down. I love eating at Passage to India and I think you will, too.